Why Panic Attacks Are So Difficult To Control

Persistent panic attacks are often linked to dysregulation in the brain's left frontal region, with QEEG mapping showing 4-6 times more slow wave activity than normal. This "under arousal" prevents the frontal lobe from managing emotions properly, explaining why traditional treatments like breathing techniques and cognitive strategies often fail.

• Panic attack physiology includes changes in breathing and CO2 levels, triggering massive adrenaline release
• Dysregulated frontal lobes show excessive slow wave activity, creating "under arousal" that prevents proper emotion regulation
• Traditional treatments often fail because they don't address the underlying brain dysregulation
• Neurofeedback gradually retrains the brain, helping the frontal lobe regain its regulatory capabilities
• Most clients seek neurofeedback after medications, therapy, and self-help approaches have failed

I'm Dr. Randy Cale from Capital District Neurofeedback. If panic attacks are changing your quality of life, call us for a free consultation to see if neurofeedback might be the solution you've been looking for.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
A lot of those panic attacks are so darn difficult to
get rid of.
If you've experienced panicattacks, you know Heart racing,
you're sweating, your thoughtsare racing, you may be thinking
you're having a heart attack.
Some of you may have been tothe hospital which is wise just
to make sure there's no physicalcause.
But those panic attacks oftenpersist after therapy, after

(00:23):
reading the books, after talkingto other people.
Why is that?
Well, part of it is becausethere's a conditioning process
that's occurring becausetypically our breathing rates
have changed and the CO2 levelin our bodies have changed,
because we're breathing shallow.
That sends off a cue in thebrain to release tons of

(00:44):
adrenaline.
That sends off a cue in thebrain to release tons of
adrenaline.
That creates that racing heart,the sweating, the feeling that
everything's going to explode.
And it's very difficult tooverride that with breathing
strategies, with self-talk, withwhatever techniques you've
rehearsed or practiced or havetried.
So we find at our clinic we doneurofeedback here at Capital

(01:08):
District Neurofeedback we findthat when clients come in and we
map their brain using a QEEGthat's a mapping system to look
at the brain that there's anexcess amount of slow wave
activity and not just a littlebit of an excess.
We're talking four, five, sixtimes as much slow wave activity

(01:29):
in this left frontal region.
So what does that mean?
That means that the frontallobe is not able to manage the
data the way it should be.
The frontal lobe is typicallydealing with our emotions.
When it's working well, it'ssort of going like this it's
going right.

(01:50):
When we start to get emotionalor something's happening, it's
calming the system.
But it's doing this all thetime in the background, silently
, just managing things.
So when we have this elevatedslow wave activity, it causes
what's a condition called underarousal.
In a sense, the frontal lobe isinadequately aroused,

(02:14):
stimulated, it doesn't have thestuff it needs.
We'll just keep it simple,right To be able to function
adequately and to provide thatsort of shh.
So when we're experiencingstress, when things are building
up, even in the half hour, thehour before a panic attack, that
frontal lobe is not able to doits job and then, once that

(02:39):
adrenaline starts to getreleased, it is certainly unable
to manage the thoughts thatstart to emerge, the fearful
thoughts.
Now, if we are able to managethose fearful thoughts and we
don't respond to that fear, itcertainly is a wonderful way to
deal with panic attacks.
However, for most people it'sjust not practical.

(03:01):
It's so difficult an ask and Ifind most of our clients are
able to do that.
And also most of our clientscome from having failed
treatments with medication, withtherapies, with books, with
everything else that they'vetried.
And so the beautiful thingabout neuro feedback is that
we're able to change thatdysregulated frontal lobe so

(03:25):
it's able to do its job.
In fact, it doesn't happenovernight, but it's a gradual
sort of rewiring of the brain sothe brain is better able to do
what it's intended to do inthose moments, which is
essentially keeping thoseemotions calm and even
increasing our awareness whenanxiety starts to escalate or

(03:49):
when our breathing changes.
The frontal lobe performs allthose functions for us.
So if you're desperate, mostfolks you call usually are panic
attacks have changed your lifeor are changing your life.
Change the quality of life,change how you spend time with
your family or friends.
Some of you changed your worklife.

(04:12):
If that's the case and youhaven't found a solution, give
us a call here at CapitalDistrict Neurofeedback.
I'm happy to have a freeconsult with you, talk about
whether it's a good fit, andthen perhaps we'll do a QEEG and
you'll be able to see how thatdysregulation makes it very,
very difficult, regardless ofthe strategies or the medication

(04:33):
very difficult to manage thosepanic attacks without changing
the brain that's creating it.
I'm Dr Randy Kale.
It's been a pleasure to chatwith you.
I hope we get to speak soonAgain.
Just give us a call.
There's no risk, there's nocharge.
You just get to learn moreabout how things work and
whether this is a good fit foryou.
Take care.